S31:E5🎙️ LIVE AWLL From Proverbs — Chapter 5 (Multi Track Audio)

Coach BZ extracts seven leadership lessons from Proverbs Chapter 5, including attention as choice, boundaries that protect authority, and discipline as empowerment. He frames ancient wisdom as mentorship for leaders in command and executive roles, drawing on insights from Ron Carpenter AI, Chris Robinson, and Darren Hardy.
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Hi, I'm John Maxwell. When the top companies in the world are looking for trainers, speakers, and coaches, there's one name that stands above the rest, and that's Maxwell Leadership. Our certified team members have gotten proven results for companies all over the globe, and our reputation, I'm proud to say, is second to none. Some of our members have risen to the top of their profession, including the one you're going to meet today. I proudly introduce you to my friend Bob Fabien Zinga.
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All right everyone, uh, welcome to another edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast, and, uh, this is a very special edition. We are going through the Book of Proverbs, uh, ancient wisdom mentoring from the books of Proverbs. Today we're going to be studying Chapter 5. This is not a religious broadcast, but it's about ancient wisdom and leadership lessons from the Book of Proverbs. So thank you for being with me. I'd like to get your feedback and your insight on this chapter as well. And before we get started, let's do our moment of gratitude. Every time we meet, we like to just take a moment to be grateful for something. And whatever you are grateful for, today. Maybe you want to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and just think about what are you grateful for right now. I think I'm really grateful for the rain. It doesn't rain very much in Silicon Valley. We've suffered really dryness for a very long time here. There's been a drought, even a lot of— we have beautiful rolling hills in the valley and most of the hills, the grass, right, turned from green to brown. And I was just looking yesterday when I was driving, they all turned back green. And it is so beautiful to see. And I think that's a good sign for 2026 as well. Some of you might have been in the drought, in the desert in 2025. Things didn't work out the way you were hoping for. I think 2026 is another year, it's another chance. And I believe you're going to go from brown to green, right? From drought to abundance of water. Right? You're going to be like a tree planted by the water and you shall not be moved in 2026. So I am very, very grateful for that. How beautiful nature is when it has all of the resources it needs, the water, and it just shines and it is just beautiful to see. So let me know what you are grateful for. Also let me know where you are joining us from, what city, what state in the US, and if outside of the US, which country. And again, you have a question for me, type it in the comment and also give me your insight on any of the verses for Proverbs chapter 5. So before we get into chapter 5, let's do a quick review from chapters 1 through 4. So chapter 1, I'm not going to read it again. You can go to the podcast Season 31, Episode 1. We went through the intro and chapter 1, but basically the theme there was wise leadership. Wise leadership begins with humility and accountability. Ignoring wisdom leads to predictable consequences. So that was the, the idea for, um, chapter 1. And then we went for chapter 2, where the main idea, the theme, was leaders who deliberately pursue wisdom develop discernment that protects their character, so guides their decision, and also keeps them on the right path under pressure. So that was chapter 2. And then we went to chapter 3. Chapter 3 taught us that enduring leadership is built on trust humility, and wisdom. So choosing alignment with timeless principle over reliance on self. And then yesterday we did, uh, chapter 4. So that was about leadership being a lifelong pursuit of wisdom that requires intentional learning, disciplined choices, and vigilant self-governance. So we had 7 lessons, uh, from chapter 4. Quickly, lesson number 1 was wisdom is the leadership inheritance. That was Proverbs chapter 4, verses 1 and 2. Listen, my son, to a father's instruction. I give, I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. So wisdom is a leadership inheritance. So the leadership insight was, uh, leadership wisdom is often passed down before it is discovered independently. The humility to learn from mentors, elders, and prior generations accelerates growth and prevents costly mistakes. I said that's why I love reading books so much. But, uh, okay, we're not gonna get back in detail. You wanna get into detail, go back to the podcast from yesterday, Season 31, uh, Episode 4. So the second leadership lesson from Chapter 4 was wisdom must be actively pursued. Verses 5, 6, and 7: Get wisdom, get understanding, though it costs all you have. Get understanding. So the insight: wisdom is not passive. And it requires intentional investment, time, effort, humility, and sometimes sacrifice. All right, lesson number 3: Wisdom protects and elevates leaders. That was verses 8 and 9. Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you. Embrace her and she will honor you. The insight: Wisdom acts as both shield and signal, protecting leaders from ethical failure and elevating their credibility and influence. Lesson number 4 from chapter 4: Leadership is a chosen path, verses 10, 11, 12, and 13. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go, guard it well, for it is your life. So leadership is directional. The path you choose, your habit, your influences, your disciplines, they will determine your outcome more than your intentions. Not just intent, but it's actually what you do. All right, lesson number 5: Avoid the shortcut culture. Verses 14, 15, 16, and 17: Do not set foot on the path of the wicked. Avoid it, do not travel on it. So an ethical culture normalizes compromise, but leaders must consciously reject paths that reward results without integrity. All right, lesson number 6 from chapter 4: Focus will determine forward motion. Verses 18 and 19: The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter. So the insight is clarity will increase with commitment. Leaders who walk consistently in wisdom, they will gain momentum, vision, and confidence over time. My mentor Darren Hardy, in his best-selling book The Compound Effect— I highly recommend that— he talks about the big momentum. I believe Papa Maxwell talks about that too, but you really build momentum with consistency. You do something every single day. The first day you may not see a lot of changes, but you keep doing it over and over and over again, and before you know it, you will build momentum, the big mo. All right, and the final lesson from yesterday, lesson 7, guard the inner life of the leader, right? And that's Proverbs chapter 4, verses 20 through 27. The key verse is verse 23: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. So character is the source code of leadership. What leaders allow into their heart—pride, fear, bitterness, integrity, positive or negative—will shape every decision and interaction. And we close our chapter 4 by saying that Proverbs 4 reminds us that leadership is not defined by title or position, but by path, practice, and priorities. So wisdom must be sought, protected, and lived daily. Leaders who walk this path illuminate the way for others. So that's what we learned from Chapter 4. So we're gonna start Chapter 5 now. Before I do, I'm gonna ask, um, Ron Carpenter. I remember I interviewed him for Season 4, I believe episode 15. You can go back to last season and see when I interview Ron Carpenter AI. And here is what he said about chapter 5. He said, man, Proverbs 5 is a straight-up warning from a father to his son. Stay away from the adulterous woman. Cling to your own wife because sexual sin will wreck you. The big idea, according to Ron Carpenter AI, is flee immorality and rejoice in the wife of your youth because the way of the unfaithful leads to death and regret. And verse 21 nails it. So the primary verse, according to Ron Carpenter AI, is verse 21, which says, "For the ways of men are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths." So Onkapenta Eya says, God sees it all and the consequences are brutal. Your strength gets drained, your wealth stolen, and your body consumed. Drink from your own cistern, be captivated by your spouse, or you will groan at the end when your flesh and body are spent. It's about fidelity, satisfaction in covenant, and the icos of wondering. What's stirring this question for you? All right, so that's what Ron Carpenter AI believes. So let me tell you, uh, what I get, uh, out of it. So I believe the theme for, um, Chapter 5, right, the big idea, um, it's really sober, right? Unflinching leadership chapter about integrity under pressure. So Chapter 5 really warns us that private compromises inevitably become public consequences and that leaders who fail to govern desire will eventually lose credibility, authority, and trust. This reminds me of the Bathsheba principle. My former professor, Casey Lusches, I think it was episode 134, season 4, last season, she talks about ethics and the Bathsheba syndrome, which is the story of King David, how you really have to stay focused on your mission and really practice before it ever happens what you will do whenever you are under pressure and you are tempted. It's really a daily practice. So go back, listen to that episode too when you have a chance. But this chapter, Chapter 5, reframes moral discipline not as restriction but as a strategic leadership protection. So wisdom here is about foresight. Leaders must understand that the cost of momentary indulgence is often paid in long-term reputation, influence, and legacy. And if you lose trust, if you lose your reputation, you know, it's something that's very difficult to build, but once you lose it, no, it's almost impossible to get back. So the theme for Chapter 5 is private discipline will sustain public authority. All right, let's go through our lesson number 1, uh, that's going to be based on verses 1 and 2. The lesson is attention is a leadership choice. Attention is a leadership So let's read verses 1 and 2.
To my wisdom, my son, pay attention to my wisdom. Lend your ear to my understanding that you may preserve discretion and your lips may keep knowledge.
That your lips may keep knowledge. Wow, that is quite powerful. So attention is a leadership choice. So wisdom begins with attentiveness. Pay attention. Leaders fail long before they fall, usually at the moment they stop listening, stop learning, or assume immunity from error. I'm always reminded of one of the best advice my mother gave me when I was a kid. She told me, right, God gave you two ears and one mouth, right? Use them in those proportions. Listen twice as much as you speak. Some people I know, they love to hear themselves speak, but sometimes it's just better to be quiet and listen. All right, so pay attention, keep listening, keep learning. So do not assume immunity from error. Just because you've experienced a certain level of success, it doesn't make you invincible. So you have to keep such humility. You could fall at any time and you need to remain vigilant. Discretion is not instinctive. It is developed through discipline, listening, and humility. All right, so what are the applications? So great leaders slow down enough to listen, especially when the counsel is uncomfortable. You need to have those tough discussions. And really, if you are a leader, that's part of the reason why you get paid the big bucks, is to have those tough discussions. Don't just let everybody under the rug or see a red flag and ignore it, right? Another one of my mentors told me As a commanding officer, if you see something that is wrong, something that is out of place, something that doesn't meet the requirement or your standard, and you don't say anything, he told me that becomes the new standard. So don't ignore it. Something is out of place, something isn't right, you have to speak right away, right? It's also, I think, the way when you, uh, raise children, right? My wife and I, we've raised two beautiful, independent, gorgeous, um, African American kids. I guess my first one is no longer a kid. She's really a young woman now, which is still kind of, I'm still going through the transition, I guess, being a father. I still remember when she was born, how cute she was, how small, but she's really a grown human being now. And it's really amazing to see that transformation. But anyway, when you raise kids, that is really one thing that comes up over and over again. When they do something wrong, you need to talk to them in the moment while they do it, because if you wait, a day, a week, or a month, and then you try to correct them. Hey, this is what you did last month. It's like, well, that doesn't make any sense. They don't even remember. Same thing with pets too. We have a dog, and if he ever does something wrong, you really have to correct him in the moment when he did it. Otherwise, whatever correction you bring in later on, that doesn't really apply. It doesn't have much of an effect because it was so long in the past. The past. So again, if you see a red flag, just do not ignore it. So slow down enough to listen and, um, have those uncomfortable conversations. So in command, cybersecurity, or executive role, attentiveness protects against blind spots. So you have to pay attention. So where have you become complacent in your listening? And who has permission to challenge your thinking right now? And you can also go back to Season 4, I believe it was Episode 2, when I spoke with my mentor Chris Robinson, Executive VP at Maxwell Leadership. He has written a book, I have it here, about From Drift to Drive. Yeah, that is the title, From Drift to Drive. Uh, I have it here somewhere. But anyway, as a leader, sometimes you become complacent and you start drifting, so you really need to refocus, right? I think that is very, very important. All right, so the anchor reflection for lesson 1— and again, lesson 1 is attention is a leadership choice. It's a choice you have to make. So what you ignore today often becomes what undoes you tomorrow. So if you see a red flag, do not ignore it. You have to engage. You have to do something about it. All right, leadership lesson number 2: not everything attractive is aligned. That's from verses 3, 4, 5, and 6. Let's listen to that.
But in the end she— for the lips of an immoral woman drip honey and her mouth is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell. Lest you ponder her path of life, her ways are unstable, you do not know them.
Her ways are unstable, you do not know them. So lesson number 2: not everything attractive is a line. So short-term reward often disguises long-term consequences. So leaders, they must develop the discipline to evaluate decisions beyond initial appeal, especially when ego, power, and validation are involved, right? So what's the application? Before accepting opportunities and relationships or shortcuts, assess alignment with your core values, values that are core to you and your mission, and long-term impact. We've talked a lot about long-term perspective. Not microwave, I want to be satisfied right now, but what does that mean for 6 months from now, a year from now, 3 years from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now? What is going to be the long-term impact? I think the longer your perspective is, the more successful you will be because you're not making decisions today based on what's happening right now or tomorrow, but based on what's happening, what's coming down the line, right? And the longer that period, the better decision you will make? Not just a, you know, 5-minute satisfaction today, but what is that going to mean for future generation as well, or the long-term health of your organization? So what looks sweet right now but may cost you later in your life? Right now, go ahead and type it in the comment if you are willing to do that. But also, like I said, give me your feedback or insight on any of the verses in chapter 5, which we are studying today. So are you prioritizing convenience over character? Think about that. So the anchor reflection: Temptation often whispers, consequences usually shout. All right, so lesson number 3: Boundaries preserve authority. So that's verses 7, 8, 9, and 10. Boundary will preserve Ahoiti.
Let's go there. Best you ponder. Therefore, hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and you your years to the cruel one, lest aliens be filled with your wealth and your labors go to the house of a foreigner.
Lest aliens be filled with your wealth and your labors go to the house of a foreigner. Keep your way far from her, lest strangers take their fill of your strength. So the inside, leadership's strength Leaks when boundaries erode. You need to have boundaries. Moral failure is not only personal, but it also transfers power, influence, and credibility to others. So it's okay to have fun, it is okay for you to do, uh, what satisfies you, but you have to live your life within bounds, right? There need to be some guardrails. I can do whatever I need to within these two, but I will not go over. I won't even Something that happened to me, I don't know about you guys, but when I was a kid, sometimes when my parents would say, okay, do not do this, this is the line, do not cross it. Sometimes I would be tempted to get as close to the line as I can but not go over. Right. And I think many kids do that. They want to test their parents. When the parent says, okay, if you do this, you're going to get punished or whatever. So they want to see, okay, I'm going to do it and I'm going to see if my mother or my dad really mean what they say. Are they really going to punish me? And then if the punishment doesn't come, It's like, okay, you are full of nonsense, so I can do whatever I want and your words don't mean anything to me. So if you do make threats like that as a parent, I think you absolutely have to follow through whether you feel like it or not. Otherwise, your words will be completely meaningless. And again, there are some kids who really would like to challenge you and really get to the edge of what is acceptable and kind of see what is going to happen. But I guess my My advice right now is don't get too close to the edge, right? Just follow the rules, have those guardrails, and I think you're going to preserve your peace. All right, so application. I think it's important to establish non-negotiable boundaries around ethics, relationships, and decision-making, especially when no one is watching. And the idea I always have is you know, what if my grandma knew what I was about to do? How would she feel about it? And the truth is, whatever you do in the darkness when you think nobody is watching, there is someone that's always watching, especially if you are a leader. And everything that's done in the darkness will eventually come to the light. So you have to live your life according to your core values, no matter what. That's the commitment you have to make with yourself. And yesterday on the podcast, I spoke with, uh, Commander William Spears, uh, season 5, episode 7. I encourage everybody to watch that. He wrote the book Stoicism as Warrior Philosophy, uh, great, great book, a lot of great, uh, insight. And we did talk about this too, right? As a warrior, uh, making sure that we have core values that we abide by whether people are watching or not. I think that's really a foundation for leadership. You have to be consistent and trustworthy, and people need to be able to rely on you, and they know exactly what you are going to say and how you are going to act, because what you do, right, they can count on it. They can really expect what you are going to do, because what you do is what you say, right? There is alignment, there is coherence, right? You are a person of integrity. That's really what it's all about. It's not easy, and we make mistakes, and we don't always do as, uh, We intend, but, uh, we've practiced over and over again. We really want to choose to be our highest self, our best self, and live by our value and have those boundaries to keep us safe. All right, so what boundaries then are you rationalizing instead of reinforcing right now? And where does leadership energy get drained? So anchor reflection: boundaries are not barriers to freedom, but they are safeguards for freedom. Okay, everybody needs boundaries. All right, lesson number 4: Regret is a leadership tax. So that's going to be verses 11, 12, 13, and 14. Let's listen to that.
And you mourn at last when your flesh and your body are consumed and say, how I have hated instruction and my heart despised correction. I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me. I was on the verge of total ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation.
I was on the verge of total ruin. So Proverbs forces leaders to confront the cost of ignored wisdom, regret, loss of credibility, irreversible damage. So leadership failure is rarely instant, it is cumulative. So application: conduct regular self-audit, course correct early while humility still costs less than repair. But an ounce of prevention or a pound of cure? You decide. So what pattern, if left unchecked, could lead to regret? What counsel have you dismissed too quickly? Reflection: Regret is what wisdom tries to save you from. And that's really why I really love the Book of Proverbs. I've always reached out to my mentors and why I've read a lot of books. I always love to learn from other people what they have gone through. Because really, there are only two ways to learn in life, right? Trial and error, which is not the best thing to do because you are going to get hurt a lot and you are going to suffer pain that you really do not need to go through. Or you can learn from somebody else's experience, right? You can have a mentor who's going to tell you, hey, this is what I did and this is what happened, good or bad. And you can keep the good and get rid of the bad. You can experience a mistake you would have made through the life of somebody else. And I think that is really, really powerful. That's why I think everybody needs a mentor. All right. I have someone from Twitch who said hello. People at Twitch, they don't really listen to what I am saying. They mostly play games, but it's nice to know that at least somebody out there is paying attention. So again, let me know where you are coming from, what you are grateful for. And if you have a question for me, type it in the comment. And if you have an insight on any of the verses from chapter 5, please type it in the comment as well, especially those watching on LinkedIn and YouTube. All right. Again, the anchor reflection for lesson 4: Regret is what wisdom tries to save you from. So that you live your life and you are glad for all of the decisions you made and not end your life saying that I have so many regrets. I wish I had, I wish I had, I wish I had. Another one of my mentors, Les Brown, but also he is no longer with us. Powerful, powerful man from the Bahamas. I was just reading his book the other day, but they both said, uh, Miles Monroe is one I am thinking about. Miles Monroe and Les Brown both said the richest place in any city is the cemetery because that's where people have gone and they've died with their dreams without having the opportunities to live out their dreams. They had dreams, they had hopes, there were so many things they could have done throughout their lifetime, but for whatever reason, usually because of fear, they were afraid and they didn't do it. They didn't take a chance on themselves, and they died with all of that wealth and all of that knowledge untapped. And that's really, really sad. So that's why, again, I was very young, 12, 13 years old. Like I said, I've been reading the book of Proverbs since then, every single year. My prayer, my hope is that, uh, I become all I was called to be. I get to do everything I am capable of, right? That I live my life without any regret. Another one of my mentors where I get this idea from, Al Eker, he says he wants to die empty, completely empty. All of my dreams, all of my hopes, I want to be able to realize them in this life, right here and right now. And when I'm dead, I've done absolutely everything I was supposed to do and I have absolutely no regret. I've done what I was supposed to do and I've impacted the life of the people I was supposed to impact. I've added value to people. I've added great values. I've valued people and I've added value to the people I was supposed to.. And that would be quite something. All right, so lesson number 5: Faithfulness fuels sustainability. Faithfulness fuels sustainability, for those who are taking notes. So we're gonna read verses 15, 16, 17, and 18. Let's go.
Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets, let them be only your own and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
Yeah, Carpenter AI told us that, right? Drink water from your own sister, right? If you're gonna be intimate with someone, be intimate with your own spouse. That's gonna save you a lot of problems, a lot of headache. I can promise you that. All right, so again, the lesson: faithfulness will fuel sustainability. So this is not only about marriage, although it is, but it's also about loyalty, stewardship, and satisfaction with rightful responsibility. So leaders who constantly seek more often neglect what they have already been entrusted to lead, right? So how can you apply this? You need to invest deeply where you are accountable—your team, your mission, your family, your role—before chasing external validation. So are you nurturing what you are responsible for or neglecting it? Whereas comparison weakens your contentment. Anchor Reflection: Sustainable leadership goes from faithful stewardship. All right, lesson number 6: Discipline is not deprivation. Right, discipline is not deprivation. That's going to be verses 19 and 20. All right, let's go.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times, and always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman and be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
Why should you be enraptured by an immoral woman? Discipline is not deprivation. True discipline sharpens your focus. It doesn't diminish your joy. So leaders who master desire they are free to lead with clarity instead of compulsion. Another one of my mentors, Brian Tracy, he used to say, right, it's very important effort for young men, right, to kind of have a loving, stable, long-term partner because that takes a away a lot of the worries, right? If you are married, right, and you intend to stay with your spouse for the rest of your life, you are committed to one another, then you no longer have, uh, the passion, the desire, and the energy to be looking for a partner because that part of your life is already taken care of. And now you can just focus on your goals and work toward your success or whatever it is you need to achieve. Because it does take a lot of energy, right, looking for a partner. It takes energy, it takes, it takes money, it takes a lot away from you, and, and it could be distracting. But if you are happy with your spouse, you are married, you are settled, that part of your life is good, and then you can focus on what is next. I think that's pretty good advice too. So the, um, uh, leadership application for that. So replace impulse-driven decision with principle-driven leadership, and discipline enables endurance. Don't be impulsive, but think about the long term, right? Where are emotions driving decisions instead of values right now, and what disciplines need to be re-established? Anchor Reflection: What you control no longer controls you. Now Ron Carpenter, uh, one thing he shared, uh, when he was younger, he was having some, uh, challenges, right? Uh, dealing with porn and, uh, being, uh, attracted by, uh, things like— I think, I think he shared, he was very, very young at the basement of one of his friend's, maybe it was, I don't know, 10, 11, 12 years old. They had a whole bunch of stack of, from Playboy magazine and things. So, but anyway, so after he got married, he got serious with his life. He, he didn't want to deal with that anymore. But he has gone so extreme that even when he goes to a hotel— especially back then, it's a little bit different now. As you know, in most hotel rooms, they have the TV, and with your remote, you can watch adult movie and pay-per-view or whatnot. So, but before he get to whatever hotel, when when he traveled, he would ask the manager to take the TV out of his room. If they didn't do that, he wouldn't stay at their hotel. So that is pretty extreme, but that's really the guardrails I was talking about, which ensure that you keep your heart pure and then you focus on what's important to you, your mission and your purpose. I don't know what that means for you who are watching. Maybe you need to get rid of some apps on your phone or Maybe you need to get rid of the cable in your house, but whatever it is, do what you need to do in order to bring the focus back on what's important to you. All right, so the last lesson, lesson number 7: Accountability is inescapable. And that's going to be verses 21, 22, and 23. Accountability is inescapable. Capable. Let's go.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
He shall die for the lack of instruction. 'And in the greatness of his folly, he shall go astray.' Wow. So leadership always operates under observation by people, institutions, and history. Even when you think nobody's watching, I guarantee somebody is watching. So accountability ignored becomes accountability enforced. Leadership application: so lead as though your decision will be examined, because they will be. Eventually they will always be. Someone is always watching even when you think nobody is. So if your private decision became public, would they strengthen trust? That's why I'm always thinking, what would my grandmother, whom I love so dearly, especially my maternal grandmother, I was so close to her, Suzanne, what would Suzanne think of me if I did this? That's one question that sometimes prevents me from doing something really stupid, what would my grandma think? Or whoever it is, the person in your life that means the most to you, you want to be proud of you, what would they think if you acted in this way or that way? So who holds you accountable beyond rank or title? And I think for men, it's also important to have an accountability group, a group of men you can really speak to frequently and hold each other accountable. I think there are some things That's just my opinion as a man that you really cannot discuss with women or they just are not going to understand. And I'm assuming the same thing for women. You need to have a group of peers of men you can really hold accountable and they can hold you accountable and you can be frank and talk to them about issues that men and only men think. I think having an accountability group is very important. I have a mastermind or something. But anyway, the anchor reflection, integrity is leadership when no one is applauding. Wow, that is powerful. All right, we're gonna close out Proverbs chapter 5, the lesson for today. So Proverbs chapter 5 really reminds us that leaders— that reminds us that competence without character is a liability. Okay, competence without character is a liability. Rank, title, or technical skills, they cannot compensate for compromised integrity. Guard your integrity no matter what, at any cost. Because the strongest leaders are not those who avoid temptation entirely, but those who govern themselves wisely when temptation arrives. All right, that's all I have for chapter 5. I don't see any comments on LinkedIn or YouTube. Again, if you watch the replay, if you feel like it, I would appreciate if you answer some of the questions I have asked throughout this chapter and also provide me your insight, any of the verses for chapter 5. So tomorrow I am going to be back for chapter I haven't scheduled it yet, but I will very soon. So Ancient Wisdom Mentoring from the Book of Proverbs, talking about ancient wisdom and lessons from the Book of Proverbs. And tomorrow, January 6th, will be Proverbs chapter 6. All right, see you again tomorrow. And in a few minutes now, in about 15 minutes, I'm going to have a wonderful leadership conversation with B. Lee Jones. He's an award-winning CIO right here in Silicon Valley. We're gonna be talking about going from legacy to resilience. And tomorrow I will have a great pleasure and honor of speaking with the one and only Admiral Melissa Byrd, US Coast Guard. She's a former JAG for the Coast Guard, recently retired. She's principal strategic and empowering. We're gonna be talking about leadership at the intersection of law, trust, and national security. I mean, this is gonna be a timely discussion. And then on Thursday, I will be speaking with Charlie Wetzel, a master craftsman, faithful steward, and multiplier of impact. He is the riding companion of writing partner of my primary mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell. He's really helped Dr. Maxwell write hundreds of bestselling books, and he's going to be right here on the Leadership and Success Podcast on Thursday. And on the same day, I will be speaking with Tembra Rae Stevenson, and she's a food justice visionary, cultural engineer, and scholar practitioner, and bestselling author of the Wanda for Kids series. She's the CEO and founder of Wanda. We're gonna be talking about leadership and nourishment. And I will also be speaking with Daya Ramesh. I believe that's gonna be the following Sunday. She's a cybersecurity leader. We're gonna be talking about cybersecurity being existential. And one more that I have confirmed, I will be speaking to the one and only Lisa Fan the following week. She's really a mentoring architect. She's written two bestselling books on mentorship. The Mentor's Guide, and also Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring. Really. And she also has a TEDx talk. She's just an incredible woman, and you do not want to miss it. All right, that's what I have for you. See you again in a few minutes for the interview with Lee Jones, and tomorrow for the interview with Admiral Byrd, but also for, uh, chapter 6 of the book of Proverbs. It's not religious, but we are focusing on the ancient wisdom from that time that's still applicable today. All right, bye for now. Thank you.
Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to subscribe, share, and join us again for more wisdom nuggets on how to lead better and achieve greater success. Remember, leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always need leaders to inspire others, drive innovation, and execute meaningful strategy. So why not count yourself among the bold leaders shaping the 21st century? Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading with excellence.
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